Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4137 in VHS
• Released on: 2000-03-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Original language: English, German
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 107 minutes

Amazon.com
A slight but enjoyable comedy-thriller, All Through the Night offers Humphrey Bogart as Gloves Donahue, a Big Apple high-roller whose fondness for cheesecake ultimately pits him against Nazi saboteurs and fifth columnists. Bogart, having fun with a lighter variation on the gunsels that were his cinematic calling card, makes Gloves a natty, wise-cracking gambler and petty crook who can't be bothered to look beyond the sports page as the story opens. By the final reel, however, he's considerably better informed on current events, transformed into a newly minted, patriotic vigilante ready to "knock those heels on their Axis."

In line with Hollywood's own surging patriotism of the day, the script is cheerful propaganda that makes good use of Conrad Veidt as the fanatical chief saboteur (complete with dachsund!), Peter Lorre as a leering trigger man, and Judith Anderson as the spy ring's coldly elegant second-in-command. When their top secret plan to sabotage the newest U.S. battleship leads them to murder the kindly German who bakes Gloves' favorite cheesecake, Bogart and a wonderful cast of shady good guys (including William Demarest, Frank McHugh, Barton MacLane, Phil Silvers, and a very young but already flamboyant, double-talking Jackie Gleason) are drawn into the intrigue. Helping heighten Bogie's curiosity is a blonde German nightclub singer (Kaaren Verne) with her own dangerous secret.

It's worth noting that another 1942 Bogart vehicle from the same producer (Hal B. Wallis) shared several key supporting players, another patriotic (and arguably propagandist) subtext, and even a pale-haired European love interest. Instead of a Damon Runyon-esque New York, however, it was set overseas--in Casablanca. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews

Light, silly WW2-era fun
This movie is an often ignored part of Humphrey Bogart's movie career. After all, this is the guy who was in The Maltese Falcon, Key Largo, The Treasure of Sierra Madre and The Caine Mutiny just to name a few highlights. Some people might have trouble adjusting to the rather silly mood of this film. However, you will probably enjoy it more if you know what you're coming into.
Bogart plays a New York gambler with mob ties who always wears gloves and has a weakness for cheesecake. When his favorite baker is murdered, he sets out to discover whodunit and in the process uncovers a Nazi plot for terrorism.
But, to tell the truth, I wasn't interested in this movie for the plot. It was the cast that interested me. Conrad Veidt, Peter Lorre and Judith Anderson play the Nazi villains and who can think of a better bad guy line-up? All of them are excellent although I had a bit of trouble accepting that small-framed Lorre as the strong-arm of the group.
Bogart is particularly amusing when he tries to bluff his way through a Nazi meeting when he has no idea what is going on and his knowledge of German is limited to two words! In fact, the entire cast seems to be enjoying themselves and as a result, the audience enjoys the movie even more.
While this is not a masterpiece, it is certainly enjoying for what it is: an action/comedy with propaganda elements that just happens to have some of the greatest actors of the time. The double talk is fast and funny, the plot doesn't make much sense but the script throws everything but the kitchen sink at you so you don't really notice.
Verdict:

You will like it: If you are a rabid Veidt, Lorre, Bogart or Anderson fan. If you want a fast, funny way to spend an evening.

You will not like it: If you expecting another Casablanca. If you are overly choosey about "serious" plots.
Enjoy!

A Patriotic Comedy Classic
In Casablanca, Humphrey Bogart tells the German commander that there are parts of New York City he would recommend NOT invading. All Through The Night kind of takes that scenario and runs with it, only the enemy is German-American terrorists. It is up to fedora-sporting semi-gangsters to stop them. At first they see the 'Fifth-Columnists' as just another gang trying to move in, but Bogart realizes the sinister nature of the Nazis and convinces even his arch-rivals that America (especially New York) is worth fighting for. The ending scene where the secret Nazi gathering is broken up by base-ball bat wielding New Yorkers must have really pulled at the patriotic heartstrings of 1941 movie audiences. This is a great movie.

Bogie Does Comedy Again
Next to "We're No Angels" this is Bogart's funniest flick. The action and occasional farce make it well worth watching. It's especially interesting to see a very young Jackie Gleason. The mix of character actors and heavyweights is just about perfect.